The Santa Rosa County Commissioners on Thursday evening denied a proposal that would have potentially allowed for the addition of a hotel, an RV park and other recreational waterfront activities on 13 acres of Santa Rosa Sound-side property in the Navarre Beach Marine Park.

In front of a large audience in the administrative complex board room in Milton, the commissioners quickly turned down the request for a lease amendment from Santa Rosa Beach developer Norman McLean with NOBC, a company that has been involved in other development projects in Okaloosa, Walton and Bay counties.

The lease of the land dating to 1960 stipulates that the property can be used for a marina, but the commissioners were not willing to allow for more advanced development.

Santa Rosa County currently acts as a landlord on the property and leases it to Shoreline Developers of Florida.

"I think the RV park and hotel could reasonably generate more traffic than under the terms of the lease and that is detrimental to the beach-going traffic," County Commissioner Lane Lynchard said in comments before the board. "It would negatively impact the surrounding property. We wouldn't be clarifying the lease, we'd be amending the lease if we approved an RV park or hotel."

Working with Shoreline Developers of Florida, NOBC was trying to find out if the current lease agreement would allow for the development of a hotel, RV park and other amenities such as paddleboard and kayak rentals.

"The idea was that we needed clarification and we got it," said Pensacola attorney William Dunaway, who represented NOBC.

Lynchard said during a break in the meeting that he didn't see the NOBC request as a simple clarification. The proposal rather would "greatly expand the area."

In explaining the evening's proceedings and the board's options to the crowd, County Commissioners Chairman Bob Cole said they "can't stop them from building a marina. We can't deny them to exercise that option."

Dunaway said NOBC in the future will take a look at what to do with the property and make a decision moving forward.

Among the Navarre residents in the board room for the meeting was Brian Heike, who's lived in the area for a dozen years and who was an ardent opponent to the request. Heike expressed "gratification" with the commissioners' decision.

"The commissioners heard the public and they responded to what we were saying," Heike said.

Late last week, opposition to the proposal began brewing on social media over what residents of Navarre and Navarre Beach saw as a potential intrusion on the pristine, quiet and undisturbed part of the beach.

Heike attributed the public's reaction as being a key component in the board's decision. He said the Facebook posts, the phone calls and emails sent to the commissioners ultimately was influential.

County Administrator Dan Schebler said the board received "close to 200 phone emails" alone about the issue.

"That and so many showed up in person, and I guess 99 percent were against the lease," Heike said.

Fellow Navarre resident Nancy Forester said she was elated with the commissioners' decision. Forester, one of several in the room wearing yellow for the environment, came prepared to address the board but never had the chance.

"I'm elated," Forester said. "I"m so happy. It's so great that our commissioners listened to us. I think it's great that they heard what we had to say."